On Wednesday, Russia denounced a new navy deal between Ukraine and Britain as an example of the UK stepping up its military presence in the region.
“We regard this as another evidence of Britain’s growing military activity in countries neighboring on Russia, in particular, in Ukraine,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova told reporters, according to Russia’s Tass news agency.
Under the deal announced Tuesday, London will loan Kyiv money to buy British warships and missiles. According to Sky News, Ukraine has an over $2 billion wishlist that includes two minehunters, the joint production of two missile ships, a frigate, and weapons for already-existing warships.
Russia views the British cooperation with Ukraine as a major provocation. The UK has also stepped up military activity in the Black Sea and is responsible for one of the biggest provocations in the region this year. In June, the British warship HMS Defender sailed about 12 nautical miles off the coast of Crimea.
The US and NATO have been hyping up the movement of Russian troops near Russia’s border with Ukraine. For their part, Moscow denies the movement of its military inside its own borders is meant as a threat and points to the increased NATO activity in the Black Sea as the source of tensions.
These ukraine warships will become artificial reefs in little time.
Good luck UK getting the loan money ever paid back
Ukraine is broke, and their best cash cow is the gas transit fees from Russia that will be over soon due to Nord Stream 2. I guess Ukraine figures that if biting the hand that feeds you works poorly, launching borrowed British missiles at the hand that feeds you might go better. Will Ukrainians find a way to eat missiles? They’ll need to figure that out pronto.
The American taxpayers will be footing the bill through aid to Ukraine.
Maybe Russia is just feigning outrage ?
The British will build ships that will never be paid for or used.
Maybe Australia can pick them up on the cheap in a few years ?